Philadelphia 76ers: 5 things to watch for in the 2018 preseason

Ben Simmons | Philadelphia 76ers (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
Ben Simmons | Philadelphia 76ers (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Who Is the backup shooting guard?

Zhaire Smith was sitting pretty to receive a chunk of minutes early in his rookie campaign. As we all know a foot injury has him sidelined for the foreseeable future. There are several players who will vie for backup minutes in a crowded backcourt.

Furkan Korkmaz provides the best catch-and-shoot threat, but his defensive deficiencies will make him a liability. The same can be said for Landry Shamet. He will not see legitimate rotation minutes until he can prove he’s an NBA defender.

Jerryd Bayless completely fell out of the rotation, and unless he made major strides this offseason, I could not imagine him getting time over younger players with more talent.

Trending. Fultz's shot defines his ceiling, not his talent. light

The shortcomings of the other two-guards brings us to T.J. McConnell and Markelle Fultz. Yes, I’m aware they’re both point guards, but they are the only two players on the bench that offer contributions, on both ends of the floor.

T.J. McConnell has proven he can play alongside Ben Simmons and J.J. Redick. Fultz has yet to prove can consistently produce next to McConnell and Redick, but his offensive upside and playmaking skills is enough to give him the nod.

Until Smith returns, I’d expect Markelle Fultz and T.J. McConnell being the first players off the bench to relieve J.J. Redick. The most interesting variable to the backcourt rotation is if Robert Covington vastly improved his shot-creation.